The Burmese leader General Than Shwe has arrived in China for a state visit during which he is expected to introduce a new generation of military leaders to one of the country’s most important backers.
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Burma’s head briefs Chinese ally on elections
Darren Fletcher will lead Scotland out at Hampden Park this evening to collect his 50th cap and earn the accompanying place in his country’s hall of fame. But if he leads the side off 90 minutes later without three points then he and his team-mates will be ushered straight into Scotland’s hall of infamy, a chamber of horrors occupied by memories of the likes of Iran, Costa Rica and the Faroe Islands. Related Stories Wilshere ‘lost focus’ after arrest Toshack set to resign and backs Giggs to replace him Goal-shy Swiss losing patience with Hitzfeld’s defensive security Steven Gerrard: ‘It’s lows not highs that make you a better player’ Stick with Rooney regardless of his private troubles, urges Ancelotti
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Fletcher aims to avoid ‘disaster’ on his big night
This week will see the UK Parliament debate a bill to give the voters a referendum on electoral reform. It’s 35 years since Britain last had a national referendum, and the one proposed for next May clearly hasn’t had the most auspicious beginnings. In fact anyone expecting to have a real say in how the country is run is likely to be disappointed
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Caroline Lucas: Give the voters real choice
September is harvest time for food and drink festivals around the country.
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There’s a harvest of food festivals to enjoy in the regions this autumn
LONDON (Reuters) - The cost of car insurance has risen by almost a third in the past year, its biggest ever increase, as insurers seek to offset a sharp rise in claims expenses driven in part by fraud, AA Insurance said.
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Car insurance premiums jump 31 percent
Exeter head coach Rob Baxter has urged his players to write their names into West Country folklore by surviving their first season in the Premiership.
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Chiefs’ fight for survival can win place in history, declares Baxter
LONDON (Reuters) - British customers of France Telecom’s Orange and Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile will be able to roam across each other’s UK networks from October, the new joint venture of the two companies said.
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Orange, T-Mobile UK roaming to start in October
LONDON (Reuters) - Alcohol consumption in Britain saw its sharpest decline in more than 60 years in 2009 in contrast to the perception that the country has a growing drink problem, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) said on Friday.
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Alcohol consumption suffers sharp slump
LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland announced another wave of job cuts on Thursday as the part-nationalised bank continues with its drive to trim costs and improve its profitability.
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Royal Bank of Scotland to cut 3,500 jobs in UK
LONDON (Reuters) - Official statistics place too much weight on a standard European Union inflation measure at the expense of a national index more suited to wage negotiations, experts said in a letter published on Tuesday.
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Top statisticians criticise CPI inflation measure
LONDON (Reuters) - The exceptionally dry early summer months in Britain have revealed the ghostly outlines of several hundred previously unknown ancient sites buried in fields across the English countryside.
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Parched English fields reveal ancient sites
Investigators from Pakistan’s highest crime-fighting agency will arrive in London today to begin their own inquiry into allegations of a cricket betting scam amid growing calls for the country to be suspended to prevent further damage to the reputation of the international game.
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Pakistan’s top detectives fly in to question team
Spanish police say that for the first time they have broken up a human-trafficking gang that brought men to the country to work as prostitutes. Related Stories Minister says sorry for doctors’ fight Biopic set to anger Sarkozy (and not just for leading man’s receding hairline) Activists ready to sabotage French bird-hunters Libyan leader’s brand of diplomacy has Italy spellbound Two charged over ‘dry run’ bomb plot
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Spain breaks up male-prostitute trafficking gang
Mexico captured major drug trafficker Edgar “La Barbie” Valdez today in a new victory for President Felipe Calderon’s high-stakes war on murderous cartels that threatens the country’s image among investors and tourists. Related Stories Trapped miners put in phone contact with families Black day for prison made famous by Johnny Cash Drilling begins on escape route for Chilean miners Earl threatens US Coast after hitting Caribbean Obama: ‘I’ve kept promise on Iraq pull-out’
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Mexico captures ‘La Barbie’ drug trafficker
Dear Virginia, Related Stories Scents and sensibility: the history of perfume The Black Panthers: The soul survivors The children of rock dads Koons and Co join the country set Dr Ed Walker: ‘Her foot was trapped under the engine. They wanted me to do a quick amputation’
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Virginia Ironside’s Dilemmas: disabled care
The Japanese government is putting together a Y920bn (£7bn) stimulus package and the Bank of Japan is increasing its bank lending programme by Y10,000 trillion in an effort to curb the steep rise of the yen and support the country’s fragile economic recovery.
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Japan tries to curb sharp rise of yen
Unaccommodated man,” said King Lear on the blasted heath, “is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art.” He might have added “rank”, too; the naked hairy man (or naked hairy woman) is a malodorous creature, bad as a goat, with the difference that I suppose Goat (A) finds the terrible downwind hogo of Goat (B) alluring, all other things being equal (or unequal, depending on the creatures’ preference).
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Scents and sensibility: the history of perfume
Malaysian airport security arrested a convicted wildlife smuggler after finding almost 100 live reptiles in his luggage, the country’s Wildlife and National Parks Department said. Related Stories Rebel assault on Chechen leader’s stronghold leaves at least 12 dead The workers united: The strike that shook the Kremlin Gunman kills six in Slovakia attack Carla Bruni-Sarkozy ‘a prostitute’, claims Iranian media German banker’s ‘Jew’ remark draws outrage
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Man arrested attempt to smuggle 100 live reptiles
Malaysian airport security arrested a convicted wildlife smuggler after finding almost 100 live reptiles in his luggage, the country’s Wildlife and National Parks Department said. Related Stories The workers united: The strike that shook the Kremlin Gunman kills six in Slovakia attack Carla Bruni-Sarkozy ‘a prostitute’, claims Iranian media Man arrested attempt to smuggle 100 live reptiles German banker’s ‘Jew’ remark draws outrage
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Man arrested attempting to smuggle 100 live reptiles
Five leading Israeli theatres were facing a mounting political row yesterday after a pledge by 60 of the country’s most prominent actors, writers and directors to boycott the companies’ planned performances in a Jewish West Bank settlement.
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Israeli actors refuse to take the stage in settlement theatre
An aboriginal man has won a narrow victory in Australia’s election to become the first indigenous MP in the country’s history.
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Voters elect first Aboriginal MP
An American serviceman was killed in fighting in southern Afghanistan today and two others were killed in battles in the country’s eastern region a day earlier, Nato said.
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Three US troops killed in Afghan fighting
LONDON (Reuters) - Britons can expect no cut in the overall tax burden for an extended period as the coalition government takes tough steps to narrow a gaping budget deficit, a Treasury minister was quoted as saying on Sunday.
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Minister sees no early cut in tax burden
Former President Jimmy Carter flew home yesterday from North Korea bringing with him a jailed American citizen – but apparently without having met the country’s reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il, embroiled in critical manoeuvres to secure the succession of his youngest son, Kim Jong-un. Related Stories Wyclef sings protest about election ban Aids group targets Flynt over condoms Glenn Beck uses King’s ‘Dream’ anniversary for right-wing rally ‘Canadian Idol’ entrant faces terror charges Online rivals bring brutal end to Blockbuster story
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Carter brings jailed US teacher home from North Korea
LONDON (Reuters) - The head of the BBC made an impassioned defence of the state broadcaster on Friday, following years of mounting criticism from rivals and politicians accusing it of being too large and too arrogant.
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BBC boss defends it from critics, rivals
Japan is inviting pro-whaling nations to a meeting aimed at building support for lifting a decades-old ban on commercial whale hunts, the country’s fisheries agency said today. Related Stories Carter’s bid to free American begins in North Korea Khmer Rouge torturer to appeal Afghanistan: Driver murders three Spaniards Pakistan floods threaten three towns as levee fails
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Japan to rally pro-whaling nations for ending ban
Pakistani officials urged anyone left in three southern towns Thursday to evacuate immediately as floodwaters broke through a levee, endangering areas previously untouched by the country’s almost monthlong disaster.
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland’s financial headache worsened on Wednesday after Standard & Poor’s cut its credit rating in a move criticised by the country’s debt management agency.
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Ireland stung by S&P downgrade
A new survey carried out for automotive website Auto Trader reports that 20 per cent of the population would like to buy back the first car they owned. I can identify entirely with this first-car nostalgia as I have, for the past five months, spent an average of half an hour a day trying to track down an example not of the very first car I ran but of the first new car I bought with my own money – a 1998 Mercedes C180
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The enduring appeal of cars past
Outlook So score one for the good guys? Vedanta – or perhaps “the world’s most hated company” – suffered a reverse yesterday after its much-criticised plans to mine bauxite on sacred tribal land in the province of Orissa in eastern India were shot down by the country’s environment ministry. Related Stories James Moore: It might not look that way but housebuilders could yet be stock market stars James Moore: Jupiter prospers when it floats in its own orbit
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James Moore: Celebrity campaigners are right about Vedanta but battle is not yet won
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s healthcare cost agency NICE rejected Roche’s drug Avastin for advanced bowel cancer again on Tuesday, saying it was too expensive, despite a fresh price deal offered by the manufacturer.
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Roche’s Avastin again spurned by cost body
Swiss death penalty advocates can start collecting signatures for a referendum that would revive capital punishment in the country after 68 years, the government said today. Related Stories Danes block Greenpeace vessel in Arctic Briton hurt in Costa del Sol blast Leader to donate kidney to wife British warships sunk 90 years ago found Britons injured in water pipe explosion
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Swiss campaign for death penalty referendum
Torrential downpours are expected to hit large areas of the country tonight as forecasters warn of flash flooding and lightning strikes. Related Stories Morning misery for Tube travellers Woman jailed for charity fraud found hanged RBS HQ targeted in climate change action day Parachutist falls to his death Parachutist killed at family festival
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UK braced for more torrential rain
Chile’s president euphorically waved the note, written deep inside a collapsed mine, that his country waited 17 agonizing days to see: “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter,” one of the trapped miners wrote in red letters. Related Stories Singer fights on in presidency bid New optimism for trapped Chilean miners Re-educating Archie: American idol gets new look Chilean miners are alive but still trapped
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Chilean miners trapped until Christmas
England’s hopes of staging the 2018 World Cup have been boosted at the very start of a four-day inspection of their bid, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter admitting it would be “easy” to stage the tournament in the country.
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Blatter boost for 2018 bid
Chile’s president euphorically waved the note, written deep inside a collapsed mine, that his country waited 17 agonizing days to see: “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter,” one of the trapped miners wrote in red letters. Related Stories Ain’t no city like New Orleans American Apparel faces bankruptcy as store chain unravels Singer fights on in presidency bid New optimism for trapped Chilean miners Re-educating Archie: American idol gets new look
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Chilean miners are alive but still trapped
As teenagers across the country anticipate their GCSE results this week, concerns were raised today that the exam system is in “disarray” and in need overhauling. Related Stories Debt fears see thousands pull out of university race £1m bonus for bosses at college accused of £36m financial scandal Universities deny ‘banned’ A-levels list
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Exam system in ‘disarray’
The outcome of the Australian general election will not be known for days, the country’s British-born prime minister said today. Related Stories Australia votes in tight election race Australia votes in ‘tight’ election race
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Australian election result ‘too close to call’
The number of “crash for cash” scams where drivers stage accidents to claim on insurance is increasing around the country, figures showed today.
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Surge in car crash scams
Thousands of firefighters in the country’s biggest brigade are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over new contracts, it was announced tonight. Related Stories Famous faces bid farewell to union stalwart Jimmy Reid Campaigner arrested over drowned squirrel Campaigner held 10 hours over drowned squirrel Civil partnerships in 12 per cent decline
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London fire crews vote on industrial action
RSPCA animal shelters across the country are being inundated with cats and kittens in desperate need of new homes, the charity announced this week. Related Stories Geri Halliwell fills in as X Factor returns Singer Lee Ryan charged with attack on fiancee Lady Gaga to steal Britney Spears’ Twitter crown Cameron Diaz ‘most dangerous web celebrity’ Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell clash as X Factor returns
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Animal shelters ‘inundated’ with cats and kittens
LONDON (Reuters) - The government said Friday it was considering withdrawing benefits from those with drug or alcohol problems who refused to seek treatment.
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Government mulls stopping addicts’ benefits
LONDON (Reuters) - The coalition government said on Friday it will introduce temporary bans on legal drugs that could be harmful to users.
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Government eyes temporary ban of "legal high" drugs
France expelled nearly 100 Roma gypsies to their native Romania yesterday as part of a public effort by President Nicolas Sarkozy to dismantle Roma camps and sweep them out of the country, the Immigration Ministry said.
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Sarkozy expels 79 Roma gypsies
A desperate scramble for university places was under way tonight, as sixth-formers across the country celebrated another record-breaking year of A-level results. Related Stories 1 in 12 A-levels given new A* grade 1 in 12 A-levels have new A* grade Students turning to sciences, figures show Maths A-grades for nine-year-old twins 186,000 students enter clearing for university place
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New A* grade for 1 in 12 A-levels
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela charity trustee Jeremy Ractliffe has resigned after admitting to keeping uncut diamonds he received from British supermodel Naomi Campbell in 1997.
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Mandela charity trustee quits over Campbell gems
Nearly half the $459m needed to fund initial relief efforts following Pakistan’s worst-ever flooding has been secured after days of lobbying donors and warnings that the country faces a spiralling humanitarian catastrophe, the United Nations said yesterday. Related Stories 35 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge 40 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge Latest China landslide leaves at least 67 missing Gay couple married by Hindu priest in Nepal Graffiti man has jail term raised in Singapore
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More funds for Pakistan flood victims
I’m not much of a lad for the birds and the trees and the great open spaces as a rule, but there’s no doubt that London’s not at its best in August,” declared Bertie Wooster in The Inimitable Jeeves (1923). “It rather tends to give me the pip and makes me think of popping down into the country till things have bucked up a trifle.” Almost 90 years on, many metropolitans feel the urge to flee. A time of dust, wilt, parched lawns and insects, August is the most unrelenting of the summer months, especially when the temperature soars in a sudden, intolerable spike
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Last of the summer whines: Unpicking the myth of the rural idyll
An early bid has been made for some sort of honour from the Coalition Government. Charlie Mullins, the chap behind Pimlico Plumbers, the posh tradesmen, has this to say about the efforts so far of Messrs Cameron and Osborne: “After years of rescuing botched jobs by cowboy plumbers, I’ve got a rough idea how the Coalition must feel after 100 days in power, trying to turn around Labour’s disastrous mismanagement of the country. I may be dealing in millions rather than billions but the frustrations are the same.” What a brown-noser.
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Business Diary: A knighthood in the pipeline?
The first major retail development in central London since the financial crisis will open its doors on 28 October to many of the high street’s biggest names, and see the country’s two most famous celebrity chefs going head to head with new restaurants. Related Stories Realtime in administration Collapse of Kiss shows strain on travel industry Optimism on the high seas as freight shipping rebounds Pension fund hole adds to EMI’s problems BHP goes hostile with $40bn PotashCorp bid
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Retailers and celebrity chefs set for City battle
Fresh landslides rocked another area of China today, sweeping through a mountain town in the southwest of the country after days of heavy rains and leaving at least 67 people missing and cutting off access to the area. Related Stories UN says millions without help in Pakistan floods 35 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge 40 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge
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Latest China landslide leaves at least 67 missing
European Union nearly doubled its aid to flood-stricken Pakistan to 70 mn euros and announced a trip by its top aid official after calls for Brussels to do more to help.
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EU boosts flood aid to Pak to 70 mn euros
A packed passenger bus negotiating a downhill curve plunged off a Philippine mountain road into a 100ft ravine today, killing 40 people in one of the country’s worst recent accidents. Related Stories UN says millions without help in Pakistan floods 35 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge
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40 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge
A packed passenger bus negotiating a downhill curve plunged off a Philippine mountain road into a 100ft ravine today, killing 40 people in one of the country’s worst recent accidents. Related Stories UN says millions without help in Pakistan floods 35 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge
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40 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge
A packed passenger bus negotiating a downhill curve plunged off a Philippine mountain road into a 100ft ravine today, killing 35 people in one of the country’s worst recent accidents. Related Stories UN says millions without help in Pakistan floods
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35 killed in Philippine ravine bus plunge
Students going through Clearing and looking for accommodation at the last minute will have to hold on to their wallets as they are facing a sharp rise in accommodation costs compared to recent years. The good news is rent still varies a lot around the country, with London and the South-east being the most expensive and the North the cheapest
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Reduce your rent by heading northwards
LONDON (Reuters) - Builders have already lost out on more than 5.7 billion pounds worth of work after Britain slashed investment in new schools and Balfour Beatty is most exposed to the cutbacks, Reuters research shows.
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Builders miss out on £5.7 billion in school projects
As I sat staring out at California’s Big Sur, I felt fortunate to have a sister who persuaded me to spend a year of my degree abroad. While almost 11,000 students signed up to the British Council’s Erasmus Scheme last year – choosing to spend part of their degree in another country in Europe – it seems that there are not enough older siblings explaining just how easy it is to take part in an international exchange.
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A lot can happen in a year abroad
LONDON (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, criticized by many Britons for leading the country into the Iraq war, will donate the proceeds from his memoirs to a project to help wounded soldiers, a charity said on Monday.
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Blair book proceeds go to wounded soldiers
8 of top-10 cos lose over Rs 37K cr in m-cap MMTC suffered the maximum loss and saw its m- cap fall by Rs 18,050 crore to Rs 1,39,570 crore in the week ended August 13.
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8 of top-10 cos lose over Rs 37K cr in m-cap
Signs of progress in Afghanistan are needed within the next two years to convince military coalition partners that success there is possible, Nato’s senior civilian representative in the country said today. Related Stories Holly Williams: Land rights: 100,000 people will march Why is the world unmoved by the plight of Pakistan? Tribal leaders ‘abducted and interrogated’ over opposition to new mine
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‘Signs of progress need’ in Afghanistan
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Cairn Energy may sell a stake in its Indian operation Cairn India, but will not exit the business, the head of the company’s local unit said on Friday.
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Cairn India says parent co to sell stake, not exit
LONDON (Reuters) - Billionaire retailer Philip Green will lead an external efficiency review into government spending, the Cabinet Office said on Friday.
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Retailer Philip Green to lead efficiency review
LONDON (Reuters) - Ground staff at airport operator BAA have voted to strike in a dispute over pay, the Unite union said on Thursday, a move which could shut many of Britain’s busiest airports.
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Staff at BAA airports vote to strike
David Beckham’s agent last night promised the 35-year-old “will always be available for his country”, despite Fabio Capello calling time on the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder’s England career. Related Stories Tom Mendelsohn: Germany vs England: The misappliance of science
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David Beckham dismisses retirement talk
The Iraqi army will not be able to ensure the country’s security until 2020 and the United States should keep troops in Iraq until then, Britain’s Daily Telegraph quoted Iraq’s most senior officer as saying.
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Iraq general says army not ready for US pullout
My older children – Elly, aged 17, and 15-year-old Joe – returned home tired and a bit whiffy on Monday after four days and nights camping at the Big Chill music festival in the grounds of Eastnor Castle, near Ledbury in Herefordshire.
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Brian Viner: Are liberal parents just hypocrites?
Israeli troops were not ready for the violent resistance they met when they boarded a Gaza-bound aid ship and killed nine pro-Palestinian activists, the country’s top military officer said yesterday. Speaking to an inquiry, the Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff, General Gabi Ashkenazi, gave the most detailed explanation yet of what went wrong with the raid on 31 May.
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Israeli troops ‘not ready for flotilla battle’
LONDON (Reuters) - Archaeologists say they have discovered Britain’s oldest house at a Stone Age site in northern England, and compared its historical significance to Stonehenge, the country’s most famous ancient monument.
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Archaeologists uncover Britain’s oldest house
Afghan soldiers have raised their country’s flag over a former Taliban stronghold seized in a joint operation with UK forces. Related Stories Charity ‘will not abandon Afghans’ Honour killing Britons refused to let daughters marry nephews Rescue teams struggle to reach 600,000 Pakistan flood victims Small tsunami generated after Vanuatu quake 31% rise in Afghan civilian deaths
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Afghan and UK forces seize Taliban stronghold
Upbeat trade figures allayed worries over the UK economy today after the country cut its global goods deficit to a lower than expected £7.4 billion in June. Related Stories Business Diary: BP still feels the love back home Markets bet on new stimulus from Fed Telecoms pioneer Skype to float on Nasdaq in US House prices fall as demand weakens Greggs warns over wheat price impact
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Trade figures ease economy fears
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will meet its targets for a low-carbon economy only if the new government provides clarity on energy policy within six months, so companies can make the right investment choices, a leading UK business lobby said.
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UK needs clear energy policy soon - industry
French defender Patrice Evra, facing sanctions for leading a player revolt at the World Cup, does not understand why he should be punished and wants to wear his country’s colours again. Related Stories I half-expected the FA to sack me, admits Capello Henry urges caution as All Blacks close in on the title Fans’ disillusion with England to be reflected at the turnstile Robinson and Brown walk out on Capello’s new-look squad
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Evra keen to play for France again despite sanctions
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan News: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that whenever a political government got into power it faced corruption charges but such was never with the dictatorial regimes as they have always been supported by judiciary. Read the original: Judiciary Always Endorsed Dictators, PM Gilani Judiciary Always Endorsed Dictators, PM Gilani was first posted on August 9, 2010 at 8:14 am
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Judiciary Always Endorsed Dictators, PM Gilani
A couple from Birmingham have been murdered in Pakistan in a suspected honour killing. The man and woman had visited the country to resolve a dispute over a wedding
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Couple killed in Pakistan in dispute over wedding
Have a nice flight with Country Airlines,” said the smiling stewardess, “and enjoy your trip.” Standing on the gangway of the Sun Country 737, she could have been welcoming us aboard a jet bound for any one of America’s favourite holiday destinations.
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Caught in America’s legal black hole
The US is to start charging UK travellers nearly £10 to apply for permission to enter the country. Related Stories Simon Calder: Pain in Spain for travellers on the plane? Travel Agenda: Brighton fireworks; Hotel Gansevoort in New York; Iceland Express My Life in Travel: Emily Woof, actress Travel By Numbers: Ramadan Something To Declare: Malaysia; better airport links; cheap UK hotels
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New charge for UK citizens to enter US
There isn’t a guest at any party in the land who can resist a dip.
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Snack attack: Mark Hix whips up delicious dips
The proposed takeover of Liverpool by a Chinese consortium would not involve direct ownership by the country’s government, although they may have a passive role in the organisation, it has been claimed. Related Stories Anfield demands answers after China denies link to Huang’s bid Does the Chinese government really want to own Liverpool? Lampard happy to be back with blues Carrick out for two weeks
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Huang takeover aims mapped out
Few composers have investigated the cello’s range and capabilities quite as exhaustively as Klaus Huber, but the standout track here, “Ein Hauch von Unzeit” was not originally written for the instrument: Descharmes’ mournful solo cello gradually acquires life as three further cellos join in, their lines weaving together with a timbral variety which in places recalls the piece’s origins as a work for flute. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans. Sue Rose
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Album: Alexis Descharmes, Klaus Huber: Complete Cello Works (Aeon)
Half mad and quite bad, this is a film that doesn’t know what it wants to be. It starts off as a fairly decent psychological thriller centred on a lunatic (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) with several personalities; then, suddenly, it shifts to a backwood full of old crones and other hackneyed horror tropes. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans
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DVD: Shelter (15)
Albert Lewin’s 1951 film reworks the Flying Dutchman legend, transporting us to a 1930s Spanish seaside town where Pandora, played by a radiant Ava Gardner, falls for a mysterious man who sails into the harbour. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans. Sue Rose
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DVD: Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (PG) Albert Lewin
In 2001, Cats and Dogs posited the idea that mutts and moggies could talk and joke like us, or like a bad screenwriter’s version of us.
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Cats And Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore (3D) (U)
If you have two pounds in your pocket and two hours available, rent this film. If not for the taut acting and the laconic script, then at least for its beauty
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DVD: Revanche (15)
Unhappily matched fugitives who crack wise while dodging mortal danger has been a cinematic staple at least since The 39 Steps in 1935, and it perhaps had its finest hour when Cary Grant led Audrey Hepburn a merry and mischievous dance through Stanley Donen’s Charade (1963). Film-makers have been trying to replicate this type of caper-comedy-romance for years, and flubbing it. This year we’ve already had Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl mugging through the awful Killers, and now, handling a much larger budget, James Mangold tries his luck with Knight and Day
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Kinght And Day (12A)
The third part of German ensemble musikFabrik’s seven-volume edition of challenging new music pieces, From Heaven to Hell thematically links works by Martin Smolka, Mauricio Kagel and Louis Andriessen. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans.
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Album: Musikfabrik, From Heaven to Hell (Wergo)
Javier Fuentes-León’s feature debut is both a tender ghost story and an inquiry into South American machismo.
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Undertow (15)
Jan Kounen’s drama picks up more or less at the point when Coco Before Chanel (with Audrey Tautou) left off – with Coco mourning the death of her lover Boy Capel and hitting her stride as the most celebrated couturière in France. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans. Sue Rose
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Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (15)
The raw material of the songwriter Ari Picker’s life is spread out in these songs like clues at a crime scene, a grim parade of parental argument, separation, abuse, depression and death. It forms a harrowing emotional arc, stretching from the opening couplet (”I built you this gorgeous house/To put up with your bitch tongue”) to closure of sorts in the final track: “I’ve learned to love what I’ve become.” Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans. Sue Rose
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Album: Lost in the Trees, All Alone in An Empty House (Anti-)
Travis “Travie” McCoy made more UK chart impact with the recent ersatz reggae-rap hit single “Billionaire” than he did in over a decade as frontman of pop-rappers Gym Class Heroes, and while there are a couple more hits to come from Lazarus, it’s unlikely to make him a household name. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans.
American rock’s most reliable supercharged bar-band is in comfortable, relaxed mode on Tin Can Trust which, after the themed concept of 2006’s The Town and the City is just a grab-bag of songs, though none the worse for that.
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Album: Los Lobos, Tin Can Trust (Proper)
“You find out you’re Jewish and suddenly someone in uniform is leading you away,” cries Muslim family man Mahmud when he’s escorted from an East End town hall, after learning he was adopted from birth and is Jewish. Related Stories Shadow Country, By Peter Matthiessen Twenty-One Locks, By Laura Barton The Secret State, By Peter Hennessy Spider Silk, By Leslie Brunetta and Catherine L Craig The Silence Of Mohammed, By Salim Bachi, trans.
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DVD: The Infidel (15)
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron will pledge Britain’s support for Pakistan during a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, a spokesman said on Thursday, as the two countries try to repair a diplomatic row.
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Cameron and Zardari try to put relations back on track
He may be Haiti’s best-known celebrity, but is he ready to be its head of state? That’s the question Wyclef Jean must answer tonight, when he’s expected to throw his back-to-front baseball cap into the ring by formally announcing his intention to stand in the country’s forthcoming presidential elections. Related Stories Woman’s job as stripper leads to fraud charges Most of BP oil spill has gone, says US Billionaires to give away half their fortune Gulf oil spill ‘close to end’ says Obama Tunnel at ancient Mexican site may hold tombs
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Wyclef Jean set to confirm run for Haitian presidency
The Iraqi government has released from prison a top Saddam Hussein loyalist after he was found innocent of helping the former regime punish opponents by draining the country’s fabled marshlands, a judge said yesterday. Related Stories Assassin targets Iranian leader Iran ‘has new surface-to-air-missiles’ Reports of attack on Iranian President Iranian President unhurt after blast near motorcade Assassination attempt?
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Iraqi judge frees Saddam loyalist
LONDON (Reuters) - British Girl Guides have demanded Prime Minister David Cameron introduce labelling to distinguish between airbrushed and natural images of women in glossy magazines and advertisements.
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Girl Guides target airbrush images of "perfection"
Questions may be raised in the Scottish parliament about the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra bringing an all-English programme to the Proms (one dear soul even felt compelled to wave the Scottish flag) but no one is likely to be arguing about the quality of the music making. Predictably Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending pulled in a massive crowd but it was the concert opener by John Foulds (a Proms first) that really raised curiosity levels.
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Prom 23: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/ Runnicles, Royal Albert Hall
LONDON (Reuters) - Two of Britain’s biggest retailers reported a cooling in consumer demand on Wednesday, raising fears that higher taxes and spending cuts aimed at reining in government borrowing could derail the economic recovery.
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Next and Carpetright warn consumer demand cooling
Homes were evacuated after a fire broke out at the atomic weapons base which maintains warheads for Trident, the country’s nuclear deterrent.
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Fire hits Trident warhead base in Berkshire
The use of BlackBerrys will be banned throughout the United Arab Emirates, raising the stakes in the country’s confrontation with the smartphone’s maker, Research in Motion (RIM), for the second time in 24 hours. Related Stories Unexpected slowdown in exports hits manufacturing confidence Business Diary: HSBC keeps Britain waiting Camelot tries to win over regulator with new assurances China’s Geely buys Volvo for $1.5bn Now banks accused of causing mortgage famine
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BlackBerry faces new government crackdowns on phone use